USA TODAY: For UFC 163's Phil Davis, studying felt more like spying

UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis has a movie metaphor for each of his past three opponents.

For Wagner Prado, it was the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle Bloodsport. For Vinny Magalhaes, it was Wall Street. And for Lyoto Machida, his opponent Saturday in UFC 163’s pay-per-view co-headliner (10 p.m. ET), it’s The Hunt for Red October.

“I’ve also watched U-571,” Davis, 28, told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) leading up to the bout, which takes place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. “Watching these movies, it hit me. I said, ‘Duh, Phil. You’ve got him all figured out. All you have to do is just jump aboard one of their ships, steal the enigma, and then you’ll know exactly what the code is.’ So I started learning Portuguese.”

If you’re confused, allow him to explain. Machida (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) isn’t the easiest guy to figure out when you’re watching him, let alone fighting him inside the cage. Several have been knocked out trying, including former champs Rashad Evans and Randy Couture.

“I got a feel for what he likes to do and when he likes to do it,” he said of Machida. “And I know when the corner calls for it. You could say spying, but you could also say studying. Studying sounds more studious.”

Machida, 35, hit the books, too, for a fight that could bring him an elusive second chance to earn back the title he lost three years ago. He is settling into the Southern California lifestyle after moving from Brazil to Redondo Beach two years ago.

“Here, I’m able to test my style and spar and get better training with a bigger variety of fighters,” Machida said through his translator and manager, Ed Soares. “It’s simpler and more efficient.

“Training here has helped me with the mind-set of American fighters. I feel that the MMA business here is a lot more professional. In Brazil, it’s not as professional. Different schools don’t train together.”